– iRhythm and Verily collaborate to develop health management solutions for atrial fibrillation patients.
– The iRhythm and Verily collaboration aims to address this underserved population at risk for asymptomatic or silent AFib.
– iRhythm will make an upfront payment to Verily of $5 million and potential milestone payments of up to $12.75 million.
iRhythm Technologies, Inc. is teaming up with Verily, an Alphabet company focused on the development of digital health solutions aimed at improving the screening, diagnosis, and management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib). This collaboration brings together iRhythm’s expertise in AI-based arrhythmia diagnosis and Verily’s advanced health data analytics technologies to address the millions of patients living with undiagnosed AFib.
Financial Details
Under the terms of the agreement, iRhythm will make an upfront payment to Verily of $5 million and potential milestone payments of up to $12.75 million upon the achievement of various development and regulatory milestones.
Impact of Atrial Fibrillation
iRhythm estimates that more than 10 million Americans are at high risk for a common heart rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation. AFib is associated with a five-fold increase in the risk of stroke as compared to those without AFib, with these strokes tending to be more severe and associated with higher mortality rates. For approximately 20 percent of individuals who experience a stroke due to AFib, the occurrence of AFib was not diagnosed until the time of their stroke or shortly afterward.
Further, an estimated one-third of those who have AFib are not aware they have it.3 Asymptomatic or “silent” AFib is associated with certain risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea – which increase an individual’s likelihood for developing the disorder.
Collaboration Details
The iRhythm and Verily collaboration aims to address this significant, underserved population at risk for asymptomatic or silent AFib. Under the terms of the agreement, iRhythm and Verily plan to collaborate on solutions capable of providing earlier warnings, enabling the identification and management of patients that could otherwise go undiagnosed until they have a cardiac event, such as a stroke.
The Bigger Picture
Clinical research is demonstrating a major unmet need in the market for this early warning approach. At the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in May, the first phase of the mSToPS study, published in JAMA, showed that patients who were diagnosed with AFib in iRhythm’s Zio the service-monitored group had a significantly lower rate of hospitalizations and emergency room visits than the non-monitored control group.
“iRhythm and Verily have a shared mission to create a better standard of care for cardiac patients – making heart health data more actionable so patients can live longer, healthier lives,” said Kevin King, president and CEO of iRhythm. “We are pleased to partner with one of the world’s most reputable healthcare technology companies to better serve the millions of people living with AF today. Verily’s patient-centric approach to disease management and advanced hardware capabilities will prove critical in providing patients and providers with the tools needed to increase the efficiency of heart healthcare.”
